Conventional flexible polyurethane foam using MDI

Abstract

A conventional flexible polyurethane foam, made using methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), having a bulk foam density in the range of 2.5 pounds per cubic foot or lower and having a foam hardness or IFD in the range of 10 to 90 lb/50 in 2 . The present invention is also directed to the method for the making thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A flexible polyurethane foam having a bulk foam density of 2.5 pounds per cubic foot or lower and having a foam hardness or 25% Indentation Force Deflection (IFD) in a range of 10 to 90 lb/50 in 2 , wherein the foam results from a reaction of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) with a polyalkyleneoxide polyether polyol and water in the presence of at least a 1,2-dimethylimidazole amine catalyst, a silicone surfactant, and an auxiliary blowing agent and without a tin catalyst and without toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and wherein the foam made without the use of a flame retardant additive passes the requirements of State of California Technical Bulletin 117. 
     
     
       2. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the foam hardness or 25% IFD is measured in accordance with test method ASTM 3574—Test B 1 . 
     
     
       3. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the bulk foam density is 1.8 pounds per cubic foot or lower. 
     
     
       4. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the MDI is pure or comprises a mixture of isomers. 
     
     
       5. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 4 , wherein the mixture is in any amount or in any ratio of isomers selected from the group consisting of 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 2,2′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
       6. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 4 , wherein the mixture is blended with a polymeric, modified, or prepolymer MDI species. 
     
     
       7. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 4 , wherein the isomers have a blend average isocyanate functionality of ≧2. 
     
     
       8. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the foam has an isocyanate index or stoichiometric amount in a range of 70 to 130. 
     
     
       9. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 8 , wherein the foam has an isocyanate index or stoichiometric amount in a range of 100 to 120. 
     
     
       10. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the foam is made with or without a graft polyol. 
     
     
       11. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the foam is made using a polyalkyleneoxide polyether polyol having a molecular weight in a range of from about 700 to 4,000 g/mol with a weight percent content of ethylene oxide groups content being from about zero to 75 weight percent of total alkylene oxide group content while having a hydroxyl functionality ranging from about 2 to 8. 
     
     
       12. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 11 , wherein the foam is made using a polyalkyleneoxide polyether polyol having a molecular weight in a range of from about 700 to 4,000 g/mol with a weight percent content of ethylene oxide groups content being from about zero to 75 weight percent of total alkylene oxide group content while having a hydroxyl functionality ranging from about 2 to 3. 
     
     
       13. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the foam is made using a polyalkyleneoxide polyether polyol having a molecular weight in a range of from about 700 to 4,000 g/mol with 25 to 100 weight percent of total alkylene oxide groups being propylene oxide groups while having a hydroxyl functionality ranging from about 2 to 8. 
     
     
       14. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the foam is made using a polyalkyleneoxide polyether polyol having a molecular weight in a range of from about 700 to 4,000 g/mol with 25 to 100 weight percent of total alkylene oxide groups being propylene oxide groups while having a hydroxyl functionality ranging from about 2 to 3. 
     
     
       15. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the foam is made with or without a load-bearing or support-enhancing polyol selected from the group consisting of copolymer polyol, polymer polyol, graft polyol, PIPA polyol, crosslinker, polyhamstoff dispersion (PHD) polyol, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
       16. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , the foam comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of a flame retardant, a cross-linking agent, a chain-extending agent, melamine, a filler, a pigment, a dye, an antimicrobial, a biocide, an antioxidant, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
       17. The flexible polyurethane foam according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible polyurethane foam has a support factor lower than that of a high resilience polyurethane foam and a resilience lower than that of a high resilience polyurethane foam. 
     
     
       18. A flexible polyurethane foam having a bulk foam density of 2.5 pounds per cubic foot or lower and having a foam hardness or 25% Indentation Force Deflection (IFD) in a range of 10 to 90 lb/50 in 2 , wherein the foam results from a reaction of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) with a polyalkyleneoxide polyether polyol having a molecular weight in a range of from about 700 to 4,000 g/mol and a primary blowing agent of water in the presence of at least a 1,2-dimethylimidazole amine catalyst, a silicone surfactant, and an auxiliary blowing agent of acetone and without a tin catalyst and without toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and wherein acetone is in a range of 1.5 to 9.5 pphp, and wherein the foam made without the use of a flame retardant additive passes the requirements of State of California Technical Bulletin 117.